From Monday to July 22, NATO is conducting in the Black Sea one of the largest military exercises of the Alliance, involving forces from several states.
The US Navy sent one of its most powerful ships, USS Hue City cruiser, which crossed the Bosphorus on Sunday, but also the USS Carney destroyer, equipped with an AEGIS anti-rocket system, similar to the one installed at Deveselu in Romania.
The British Royal Navy sent one of its most modern ships
The British Royal Navy has also sent one of its most modern ships, the HMS Duncan destroyer, which has been involved in operations against the Islamic State and it is currently the naval vessel of the NATOmaritime group in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
The military application will also include, among other things, special forces from the US Navy. In total, about 800 US Navy sailors and Marines will be involved, along with troops from other countries. In fact, it is the most powerful NATO naval presence so far off the Black Sea.
According to a naval force communique, the Sea Breeze 17 multinational exercise will take place on the territory of Ukraine and in the territorial waters of the Black Sea. The military application targets a script specific to a crisis-response operation. This will include military from Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Romania, USA, Turkey, as well as some Countries of the Partnership for Peace (Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Sweden and Ukraine).
At Sea Breeze 17, Romania is represented by the Marasesti Frigate, Corveta "Contraamiral Horia Macellariu," a marine infantry detachment, a detachment of combat divers and state officers. The exercise is coordinated by the US Naval Forces in Europe (NAVEUR).
A second Breeze 17 exercise will take place in the territorial waters of Bulgaria and the Black Sea international waters, and Romania will participate with the King Ferdinand Frigate and the Flight Carrier "Flight," along with other Bulgarian naval vessels, Greece, Great Britain, Romania, and Turkey.
These exercises are more and more common
Such exercises are more and more common. Last month, more than 5,000 soldiers from 11 countries trained in a Romanian polygon. They are part of NATO's rapid reaction force, and they are the first to intervene when a conflict occurs within the alliance. At the "Noble Jump 17" exercise, besides the Romanian soldiers, their colleagues from Albania, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States participated. The NATO command wants to test how quickly considerable forces can mass at the eastern border of the Alliance.
